Vera Duckworth
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| Coronation Street character | |
| Vera Duckworth | |
|---|---|
| Played by | Elizabeth Dawn |
| Duration | 1974- |
| Date of Birth | 3rd September 1937 |
| Date of Death | -- |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Address | 9 Coronation Street |
| Occupation | Works in Roy's Rolls cafe |
| Family | Jack, Terry, Tommy, Brad |
Veronica "Vera" Duckworth (née Burton), played by Elizabeth Dawn, is a popular fictional character on the soap opera Coronation Street.
[edit] Information
Vera Duckworth entered the series in 1974, as one of the workers in Mike Baldwin's factory, and became a particular friend of Ivy Tilsley. She moved into the Street in 1983, much to the dismay of her new neighbours. She is married to Jack Duckworth, but they argue frequently although Vera still makes an effort with Jack, often using the comically spoken phrase "Don't you love me anymore, Jack?". Despite their problems, Jack and Vera still care about each other. Together, they form a very popular comedy couple who have been voted the most amusing soap characters.
The Duckworth marriage was always rocky due to their wayward son, Terry, and extra-marital flings. Jack once had an affair with Street man-eater Bet Lynch, and went on a dating programme in which he donned a wig, fake name and French accent. Vera, who also took part in the dating scheme, was shocked to see Jack's video. She pretended to meet him in The Rovers Return pub, wearing a ginger wig, and then she turned around and shocked Jack.
Vera also had her fair share of lovers: she was tempted by a former romance in 1991 in Blackpool, but stayed with her husband. In 2000, when she believed she was about to die in an operation, she confessed that to Jack that Terry wasn't his real son, but the product of a fling early in their marriage.
Another thing that rocked Vera's world was when, during their trip to the United States, Jack confessed to having lied at their wedding (by making a smudge on his year of birth to make it look like another number), and said he was two years older than he really was just to impress a young Vera. Since they were not legally married, they tied the knot in the famous Little White Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas.
The Duckworths have three grandchildren: Paul (by Andrea Clayton), Tommy (by Lisa Horton), and Brad (by Tricia Armstrong), but they don't see any of them any longer due to Terry's reluctance to be a father. Paul was conceived in the mid-1980s, but the teenage Andrea Clayton fled with her family to escape Terry. In the early-1990s, Terry made his girlfriend, Lisa Horton, pregnant. He was imprisoned but vowed to marry her, and the pair were delighted when Terry was allowed out of prison (albeit handcuffed) for one day only for his wedding. They duly married and the groom tried to make a run for it from the police, and he revealed that he only married a heartbroken Lisa to try to escape. She gave birth to Tommy and set up home with Des Barnes, but was tragically run over and killed. Little Tommy went to live with his maternal grandparents in Blackpool. Finally, a one-night stand with barmaid Tricia Armstrong resulted in baby Brad, but Terry didn't want to know, and she left with a new lover. The Duckworths have tried several times to win Tommy from the Hortons, but to no avail.
In 1993, at Vera's mother Amy Burton's funeral, a man named Joss Shackelton approached Vera and told her that he was the father she had never known. He also stunned her when he let her in on the family secret — his father was the illegitimate grandson of King Edward VII, thus Vera is a second cousin once removed of HM Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain! Joss lived with the Duckworths for a while before moving into his old flat, where he later died of a heart attack.
Jack and Vera have calmed down over the years, and taken in the likes of Tyrone Dobbs as a surrogate son for wayward Terry, who was often in prison or some sort of trouble. They are very well-known as a down-to-earth northern couple and comic double act. Jack adored keeping pigeons, but Vera could not stand them. A while ago, Jack agreed to sell his dead body for a certain sum of cash to an artist who enjoys painting stuffed humans, so he could buy Vera a Christmas present. When Vera discovered this, she argued with the woman, who then turned up, inspired by Vera! They agreed to both pose for the artist, but on condition that they would be buried as normal. In 2006, Vera was more than happy to have Molly Compton, Tyrones girlfriend, lodging with them, as she appreciates female company. Herself, Jack, Tyrone and Molly still live with them to this day.
[edit] Family
- Husband: Jack Duckworth
- Son: Terry Duckworth
- Grandsons: Paul Duckworth, Tommy Duckworth, Brad Duckworth
| Preceded by Bet Gilroy |
Landlady of The Rovers Return Inn 1995 - 1998 |
Succeeded by Natalie Barnes |
